The phrase "rust fungus" refers to a type of fungi that can grow on plants, causing reddish-brown spots or patches. It can harm crops and make them look rusty. Full definition
Figueroa co-led the sequencing effort for the oat crown rust fungus P. coronata f. sp. avenae along with Shahryar Kianian, research leader at the USDA - ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory and adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota. (sciencedaily.com)
The race is on to deploy new varieties of wheat resistant to the stem rust fungus Ug99 which is sweeping the globe (newscientist.com)
The yellow rust fungus is genetically very diverse in the Himalayas, where it can infect wheat and barley as well as common barberry, the sexual host of the fungus, says Sajid Ali, a visiting scientist at the Department of Agroecology in Aarhus University and scientist at the University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan. (sciencedaily.com)